Category: Pearl Jewelry

Customers who yearn for pearl jewelry are following a tradition that extends back though the ages . According to legend , Cleopatra ground up a pearl in a cup of wine and told Marc Antony she was swallowing a country’s riches .British monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry VIII, adorned their necks and wardrobes with pearls .To the ancient Greeks , pearls represented love and marriage ,an association that grew over the years . Pearls and marriage are still linked in the public consciousness today .According to the Cultured Pearl Information Center (CPIC), 37% of all pearls sold in the United States are purchased for bridal occasions .The bridal market is the second largest U.S. market for pearl sales, next to holiday purchase (42% of sales) . Pearls items are extremely appropriate for bridal-party gifts , but because pearl necklace are a classic complement to a business suit ,they’re also appropriate gifts to mark graduations and promotions. They’re june’s birthstone and a traditional gift for third and 30th anniversaries . It’s no wonder the pearl’s popularity has persisted .

After all , it’s the only gem formed within a living creature . A mollusk produces a pearl to protect itself against irritants caught inside its body ,like sand and parasites .The animal coats the intruder with nacre , a natural substance that’s also part of the inside of its shell . The layers build on top of each other , a process that produce the pearl’s luster . This rarely happen in nature . Declining environmental quality and commercial fishing have wreaked havoc on the world’s natural oyster beds .Today , jewelry lovers looking for natural pearl ring usually have to comb estate jewelry collections to find them . Indeed, until the development of commercial pearl cultivation , only the wealthy could afford these natural jewels . Today , more pearls on the market are cultured , a process that blends mollusk activity with human ingenuity . A shell bead is surgically implanted in the oyster or mussel , stimulating it to produce a pearl jewelry . A lay person would need a X-ray in order to tell the difference between a natural and a cultural pearl . Although he didn’t invent the process , Kokichi Mikimoto- the famed “Pearl King”-helped develop the best method for culturing pearl necklaces on a large scale in the early 1900s . Saltwater oyster and freshwater mollusks produce different types of cultured pearls .

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If you think of unique jewellery designs then pieces that have pearl set in them will come to mind as these beautiful natures gifts are starting to make a comeback. You will find these set into many designs, rings, pendants, jewellery sets, bracelets and necklace are now all to be seen adorned with pearls.

Gone are the days when we thought of pearls as being stuffy and old fashioned and they have now become the on trend fashion accessory. You will see them set into unique jewellery designs on their own or set with gemstones like Rubies, Sapphires, Emeralds, and diamonds. You will also see many semi-precious pieces like Rose Quartz, Aventurine, Jade, Amazonite and Amethyst that have pearls to accompany them in their unusual and original designs.

If you imagine wedding jewellery the images or pairs of earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets and jewellery sets that have been handmade from pearls will come to mind and when the designers create this handmade designs for a womans special day they may add crystals to the designs and pearl jewellery have now become the favourite wedding accessory. You will not only find pearls in the unique jewellery designs but you will see them embroidered into the dress, and embellishing shoes and bags. These have become an all around favourite.

When we look back through history we see that pearls were worn by Royalty and Nobles and these were worn by both men and women. Today it is usually women that you will see were designs that include these are worn. They are fast becoming the latest fashion item and because natural pearls can be very expensive many of the fashion designers are creating earrings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants crafted from glass pearls so that these lovely designs are available to everyone on any budget. Long multi layered necklaces are very fashionable as are lots of bracelets stacked up your arm.

In the 1920s the demand for pearls was on the increase and many of the Art Deco unique jewellery designs included pearls. This is when the Japanese started the industry of freshwater pearls where they cultivated these lovely pearls from freshwater muscles. These donor muscles were inserted with irritants and each of these muscles could then produce up to 40 pearls each. These means that the colour and the shape of the pearl can be controlled offering us a wide choice from which the designers can create their unique jewellery designs. The Chinese have now taken over the production of these.

It is not only the pearls that are used to create these unusual and original designs but even the Mother of Pearl molluscs are used to create stunning designs and you will find these made into beads that are used to create beaded jewellery designs and also polished and used as a inlay not only in jewellery but in other accessories like hair slides, belts and bags and you will find it as an inlay in furniture and other decorative items.

The classic pearl necklace and earring jewellery set is making a big come back with the popular retro look as we all look back to the 1950s for inspiration for fashion ideas. Many of these sets can be found in second hand stores and charity shops and many of the large unique jewellery collections are now producing these and it is now the young and trendy women that are wearing these designs not just your grandmother.

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Pearl necklaces have always been associated with ladies who want to add a classy look to their personality. It is the only one piece of jewelry that has always been in fashion and can be worn by women of all ages at all occasions. Just a simple string of pearl necklace can help you stand out from the crowd.

Traditionally pearls are made from calcium carbonate and come from freshwater or saltwater. However, real pearls are a rarity to find these days. Most of the pearls that you will find these days are cultured pearls. These are also considered to be good quality pearls, just like natural pearls. It is only out of these pearls that most jewelry is made these days. Pearls are beautifully brought together in various embellishments like necklace, earrings, bracelets and more in order to add an exotic and romantic appearance to any outfit.

Pearl jewelry including pearl necklaces is adorned by women. These come in various lengths and styles so that women can have a variety in them and find the one of their choice. Some of the popular styles of necklaces available in the market are Victorian which is of 13 inches; choker pearl necklace which is a little longer at 15 or 16 inches, classic pearl length which is 17 to 19 inches and the big pearl necklace which has strings of various lengths.

The size of the pearl also plays an important role as a matter of fact in the past, the size of pearls was chosen based on the age of the lady. For instance, young ladies of upper class preferred to wear the smallest pearls, not more than 8.0 mm big. Pearls up to 9.0 mm big were worn by women who are in their 30s or 40s. The largest pearls, 10.0 mm or larger, were worn by grandmotherly women of great wealth. However, this is no compulsion in todays time. People just like to wear pearl necklaces of the choice of their size and shape rather than focusing on the tradition. By all means a single line pearl necklace is considered classy and elegant that can be worn with any outfit. It is an epitome of elegance and beauty.

Elegant looking pearl necklaces can be bought online from LagunaPearl. The online store offers the largest assortment of high-grade pearl necklaces, bracelets, rings and earnings. It offers the jewelry in all sizes, shapes, designs and colors. In order to buy high quality, customizable pearls at unbelievable prices, please log on to www.lagunapearl.com.

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Playa Del Carmen is a very exciting place. It is the place where everyone goes to relax and enjoy—.the place for having complete rest in peaceful surroundings and perfect ambiance. You are stressed and need to unwind then there is no other place than Playa Del Carmen. As more and more people are becoming aware of this beautiful place, more hotels are opening. Hotels Playa Del Carmen provide for excellent service that would be at par with any other hotel anywhere in the world.

If you want to get trip organized to visit the mysterious Mayan ruins the Hotels in Playa Del Carmen would help you do it. They can also organize if you want to learn scuba diving or surfing. The hotels also have entertainment organized for the guest and you won’t feel bored. Moreover, the standards of rooms that are available are of the best quality. You get every comfort that you wish for. The food served in the restaurant is of international standard and you get all types of cuisines there.

Looking for suitable Lodging Playa Del Carmen is not such a problem as there are many other alternatives also available in addition to hotels. You can opt to stay in condo or rent a villa for the duration of your stay. It would give you comfort like your own home, but you might have to do you own cooking or any other tasks.

Wherever you decide to stay in Playa Del Carmen you would surely enjoy it. The beach is very clean and the water sparkling blue. The weather is mostly very co-operative. Those who love to party would find many bars along the 5th that is a fantastic location for partying. There are clubs located on the beach and are away from the beach so their noise does not reach most of the hotels and resorts. Going to Playa Del Carmen would be a holiday for life time for you.

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Mother of pearl is incredibly popular in the Middle East, making it a huge part of many of our most popular Holy Land gifts. That very popularity has done what greed and the desire for profit usually do, however, and encouraged many mother of pearl retailers to begin manufacturing “fake” mother of pearl (iridescent plastic) and market it as the real thing. So how can you tell when it’s real and when you’re looking at a fraud?

What is Mother of Pearl?

Before you can accurately launch a quest to differentiate real mother of pearl from a cleverly disguised fake you should know what mother of pearl is. Mother of pearl (also known as nacre) is, quite literally, the “mother” of today’s pearls. It’s the iridescent layer of material that makes of the shell lining of many mollusks and is made up of plates of aragonite combined with an organic material that strongly resembles silk to make it both strong and flexible and suitable for use in jewelry making.

When an irritant comes into contact with the mother of pearl the organism forms a large bump around it to create an actual pearl.

How to Tell if It’s Mother of Pearl or Just Pretty Plastic

There are many opinions out there on how to differentiate real mother of pearl from fake when you’re shopping in wares from the Middle East. One savvy shopper recommends a bit test (if possible), stating, “If it doesn’t click, its plastic.” Beware, they break. Others say real mother of pearl is usually colder than room temperature. If you happen to be talking about buttons or small accessories you can usually look at the reverse side to get a feel for whether it’s plastic or real mother of pearl.

Go Straight to the Source

Over time you’ll develop a feel for accurately determining which products contain real mother of pearl and which simply clever fakes are. Until then, consider asking retailers for the source of their products. Remember, real mother of pearl comes from mollusks and therefore originates in areas where these organisms can be found. It’s native to the Middle East, but chief sources for today’s products come from the pearl oyster, freshwater pearl mussels and abalone.

Pearl oysters used commercially are found in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean and parts of the Western Pacific. Some are also harvested in the waters off the Australian coast, particularly the Shark Bay pearl oyster. Certain species are also harvested off the coasts of Fiji, Tahiti, Myanmar, Baja and the Philippines.

Freshwater pearl mussels are listed as an endangered species but are still harvested by permit. They are native to the northern regions of the world, specifically eastern Canada and New England, Russia and Continental Europe.
Abalone is considerably more common and much less endangered and can be found along the coastal waters of every continent, with the exception of certain parts of the eastern Atlantic. Most are harvested in the cold waters off the southern coasts of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia as well as certain parts of western North America and Japan. Inquiring into the source materials of your products should give you a very accurate idea of whether you’re dealing with the real thing or a cleverly disguised piece of iridescent plastic.

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